Apply to Master’s Studies in Directing

Published 6.11.2019 | Updated 5.11.2024

Important Dates

● The application period starts on 8 January 2025

● The application period ends at 3 pm (Finnish time) on 22 January 2025
– Complete and submit the application form via Studyinfo

● Submit appendices before 29 January 2025, 3 pm (Finnish time)
– Send the advance assignments via the Studyinfo application form
– Send required certificates (education and language proficiency) through the Studyinfo application form

● You will be notified of the results of your eligibility check by email by the end of February

● You will be notified of the results of the assessment of the advance assignments during week 12 at the latest

● The entrance examinations will take place online 2 April – 4 April 2025

● The results of the student selections will be published on 7 May 2025, 9 am (Finnish time)

● No later than 10 July 2025, 3 pm (Finnish time)
– Accept the study place and enrol at the university
– Pay the tuition fee (if required)
– Send the certificate of your completed degree (if you have been selected conditionally)

Length of study and the language of the degree

• Length of study: 2 years
• Language of degree: Finnish or English

Degree granting eligibility to apply

You are eligible to apply for Master’s Studies in Directing if you have:

1. completed a higher education degree (bachelor level) in Finland and your degree includes at least 30 ECTS credits worth of studies in directing or a supporting field *)
   
   
2. completed a higher education degree (bachelor level) abroad, which in the country concerned grants eligibility to undertake equivalent higher education studies at master’s level, and your degree comprises at least 30 ECTS credits worth of studies in directing or a supporting field *)
   
   OR
   
   
3. if you have acquired sufficient knowledge and competence, as determined by the Theatre Academy, on the basis of your studies and work experience in the field. In this case, you must have completed at least 60 ECTS credits worth of higher education studies in directing or a supporting field *) by the end of the application period. In addition, we require at least two years of full-time work in the field of directing **).
   This option is intended for applicants with an incomplete degree or applicants who have completed other higher education studies in the arts, such as studies at the Open University.

*) Studies that support directing include, for example, studies in film directing, dramaturgy and playwriting, choreography, acting or scenography.

**) The field of directing refers to theatre and film directing in professional productions.

One ECTS credit is equivalent to an average of 27 hours of student work.

Attachments required to verify eligibility

You must provide a translation of the certificate appendices by a professional translator, if they are not in Finnish, Swedish or English. Name documents: lastname_firstname_document name

If you are applying under eligibility criterion 1, attach to your application:

1. Degree certificate
2. Transcript of records
3. Record of the required higher education studies in directing or a supporting field amounting to at least 30 ECTS credits. Provide the title, scope and content description of the study unit (on the higher education institution website or Study Guide – only providing a heading is not sufficient).

If you are applying under eligibility criterion 2, attach to your application:

1. Degree certificate
2. Transcript of records
3. When applying with a foreign degree:
– submit a Diploma Supplement (degree obtained at a higher education institution in Europe) or
– if the degree is not a Bachelor obtained at a university, submit a certificate from the educational institution where you have completed the degree that states you are eligible to apply for university-level Master’s degree studies in the country in question.
4. Record of the required higher education studies in directing or a supporting field amounting to at least 30 ECTS credits. Provide the title, scope and content description of the study unit (on the higher education institution website or Study Guide – only providing a heading is not sufficient).

If you are applying under eligibility criterion 3, attach to your application:

1. Transcript of records of the required higher education studies in directing or a supporting field amounting to at least 60 ECTS credits.
2. Record of the required higher education studies in directing or a supporting field amounting to at least 60 ECTS credits. Provide the title, scope and content description of the study unit (on the higher education institution website or Study Guide – only providing a heading is not sufficient).
3. Record of at least two years of full-time work in the field of directing.
Report your work experience:
– employer/team and level of professionalism (e.g. professional theatre, free professional group, professional AV project)
– production
– job description
– venue
– rehearsal period
– number of performances

Assessment of eligibility

Your eligibility to apply will be assessed on the basis of your application, certificates and other reports. If your application and the supporting documents meet the minimum requirements, your application will proceed to an academic evaluation. You will be notified of the results of your eligibility check by email no later than week 9.

Conditional selection

Some applicants are selected conditionally. If your higher education degree has still been incomplete during the application phase, you must submit the degree certificate and a transcript of records detailing the studies you have completed to the Admissions Services by 10 July 2025, 3 pm (Finnish time). You can only register for the academic year after this.

If you do not submit a degree certificate by the deadline, you will lose the study place offered to you.

Supplementary studies

If you are accepted without a lower university degree, you may be required to complete supplementary studies in addition to the minimum amount of credits required in the degree programme in order to acquire the competence needed during the studies. The scope of supplementary studies may not exceed 60 credits.

In principle, complementary studies must be completed in the first year of study, and they must be included in the student’s personal study plan. You will be informed of any additional studies required in connection with the admission decision.

The supplementary studies required are usually language studies.

Applying for transfer from another university

Applicants who are refugees or in a refugee-like situation

Language requirements

The degree languages of the Master’s Studies in Directing are Finnish or English. The languages of instruction is Finnish and/or English.

The programme admits students who study in either Finnish or English. If the programme admits new students to study in English, the group teaching will be offered in English to the entire class. 

In order to become accepted as a degree student, you must, in the application phase, demonstrate the language proficiency required by the studies in accordance with the language of instruction. You can demonstrate your language proficiency by previous education, an acceptable language test, or other previous studies.

You must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency by 29 January 2025, 3 pm (Finnish time). Attach a degree certificate or a language test certificate to the application form submitted via Studyinfo.
Name your file: lastname_firstname_document, such as: lastname_firstname_toefl

If you demonstrate your language proficiency with a language test and you do not receive your language test certificate by 29 January 2025 at 3 pm (Finnish time), we will also accept written preliminary test scores notification of the approved test result, if one is available. The preliminary test result must also be uploaded to the application form on 29 January 2025 by 3 pm (Finnish time).

Study languages and the language of the degree in Theatre Academy

Tuition fee

Tuition fees at Uniarts Helsinki are applicable to Bachelor’s and Master’s students who study in English and who are not citizens of EU, EEA, or Switzerland. In the academic year 2025-2026 the amount of the fee is 12,000 euros.

In the 2025 student admissions of the Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki, tuition fees will apply to applicants applying to one of our English-speaking degree programmes;

• Master’s Degree Programme in Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research (double-degree)
• Master’s Degree Programme in Choreography
• Master’s Degree Programme in Live Art and Performance Studies
• Master’s Degree Programme in Dance Performance
• Master’s Studies in Directing

The tuition fee is to be paid no later than 10 July 2025 at 3pm. (Finnish time). Students are required to pay the annual tuition fee in order to register for attendance and complete studies and to obtain a residence permit.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for the advance assignments: 

• ability to contextualise and reflect on what they read, the ability to find meanings and interpret 
• dramaturgical and spatial perception 
• breadth of thinking and imagination
• ability to concretise one’s own thinking in the form of a stage situation  
• ability to plan performance-based entities
• capacity for personal and artistic reflection

The assessment criteria for the entrance examinations: 

• ability to contextualise and reflect on what they read, the ability to find meanings and interpret 
• dramaturgical and spatial perception 
• breadth of thinking and imagination
• ability to concretise one’s own thinking in the form of a stage situation  
• ability to plan performance-based entities
• capacity for personal and artistic reflection
• ability to articulate one’s thinking to actors
• ability to observe and read a stage situation 
• ability to direct a scene and develop it further
• motivation, commitment and accountability
• ability to receive and process feedback to support learning
• learning new things
• recognising and verbalising one’s own success and failure
• good management and interaction skills, resilience to pressure  
• aptitude for the field and for higher education studies at the master’s level 

Advance assignments

Advance assignments are not specified or explained in more detail. Advance assignments can be completed in Finnish, Swedish or English. Page size is A4, and it can contain approximately 30 lines of typed text (line spacing 1.5, font size 12). Mark your name on each assignment. Submit all text files in pdf format.

1. Dialogue

Theatre is an art form based on dialogue. Dialogue takes place between the working group preparing the performance, the performance and the audience, and the people involved in the play. What does dialogue mean to you? What kind of dialogue would you like to have? (Maximum length: half of an A4 page.) Name the file: lastname_firstname_1_dialogue

2. Planet Tempest

Read either the translation or the original version of Elinor Fuchs’ Visit to a Small Planet: Some Questions to Ask a Play. Then, read Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Describe the planet called Tempest, as instructed by Fuchs.  

Read the English version of Fuchs’ text here, for example.

You can find the Finnish and Swedish  translations of Fuchs’ text here.

(Maximum length: half of an A4 page.) Name the file: lastname_firstname_2_planet_tempest

3. Directing plan

Prepare a directing plan for Act Three, scene Three of The Tempest.
(Maximum length: one A4 page and an image of your choice.) 

This is how the scene starts:   
(Another part of the island. Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francesco, and others.) 
Gonzalo: By ’r lakin, I can go no further, sir. My old bones aches. Here’s a maze trod indeed. Through forthrights and meanders. By your patience, I needs must rest me.

a) What do you think is the most important aspect of the scene? Why? What is the relationship between the scene and the play as a whole?  

b) Who is the most important character in the scene, i.e. the main character? From whose perspective are the events of the scene viewed, i.e. who is your perspective character? Explain your choice. Note that the main character and the perspective character can be the same person. Your perspective character does not need to be included in the Shakespeare version of the scene in question, but you can bring them onto the stage as a director.  

c) How would your choice of scene concretise your perspective or focus of attention in the perception of time, stage space, visuality, acting approach, soundscape and audience relationship? Avoid describing the mood and overusing adjectives. Instead, explain what and who are on the stage and what is happening.

d) Choose one image that summarises the essential mood of the scene. (Maximum size one A4 page.)

Name the file/files: lastname_firstname_3_directing_plan, lastname_firstname_3_picture

4. Video

What is a dialogue that you would like to have, but can’t, for some reason? Make a video that presents this impossible dialogue in some way. You must appear in the video yourself. The video should be 1 minute in length. Do not edit the recording or include any special effects. The recording must be in an mp4 format. Name the file: lastname_firstname_4_video

5. Portfolio

Create a portfolio containing a description of at least three of your artistic works and/or a video compilation of no more than 10 minutes in length. The descriptions must contain key information on the performance, the place of performance, the working group and the theatre that produced the performance. Attach an account of your previous artistic work and work experience. Name the file: lastname_firstname_5_portfolio

6. Motivation letter

Write a motivation letter explaining why Master’s studies in Directing would be of importance to you. Length at most one A4 page. Name the file: lastname_firstname_6_motivation

7. Question

Formulate your own artistic question in the field of directing that you would like to focus on during your master’s studies. Explain how your artistic question is linked to your previous artistic activities and identity as an artist. Length at most one A4 page. Name the file: lastname_firstname_7_question

How to apply

You can find Master’s Studies in Directing on the Studyinfo portal under the name of;
Master’s Admission: Directing, Master of Arts in Theatre and Drama (2 yr)

1. Complete and submit an online application form: The first joint application to higher education, Spring 2025

Complete and submit an online application form at the Studyinfo portal by 22 January 2025 at 3 pm (Finnish time). The application period is from 8 January to 22 January 2025.

After you have submitted the application, you will receive a confirmation email to the address you have given on the application form. The email contains a link to the application, you can add attachments to your application within the deadline.

2. Submit advance assignments and appendices

Submit advance assignments and appendices via Studyinfo portal by 29 January 2025 at 3 pm (Finnish time).

• Advance assignments
  
• Documents demonstrating your educational background required for eligibility verification
  
• Demonstration of language proficiency
  
• Document that proves exemption from tuition fees
  If you are applying to study in English, and you come from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you are to submit documentation (e.g. a copy of your passport) that shows you are exempt from tuition fees.

Submitting material in the Studyinfo portal

After completing the electronic application form in the Studyinfo.fi system, submit the advance assignments and other required material by the specified deadline to Uniarts Helsinki through the Studyinfo application form. You can complete your application with attachments either in the My Studyinfo service (if you have Finnish online bank user identifiers) or through the edit link in the confirmation email you have received.

Before downloading the material to the application, check that the material opens and functions as intended. Also, before submitting the application, check that you have downloaded all necessary attachments to your application.

Name the files according to the assignment instructions. Do not use Scandinavian characters (å, ä, ö) or special characters when naming the files.

Studyinfo supports the most common standardized image, audio, video, document and text files. Especially in media files (video, audio), attention should be paid to the fact that the file format is recorded according to the standard. The extension of an attachment may change when uploaded to the form to match the actual format of the file.

The Studyinfo system accepts the following audio / video / document / image formats:

• Audio – mp3, m4a, aiff, wma, wav, aac
• Video – mpeg, mpg, mp4, mov, avi, wmv, m4v, vob, qt (we recommend format mp4)
• Document – all text files are to be delivered in pdf format
• Image – jpeg, png, gif, jpg

The maximum file size allowed is 1 GB.

Make sure your computer and Internet browser are up to date. Use a stable Internet connection to upload the materials. Make sure your computer does not go into power saving mode when the uploading is in progress.

The sender is responsible for submitting the application (application form, advance assignments, attachments).

Advance assignments that are only partially loaded or incomplete will be rejected. Advance assignments sent by email or as an email attachment will not be processed.

Upload the materials to the system as early as possible

Large files may take several hours to upload when the system is busy. To speed up the uploading of videos, for example, you can compress the video file. Begin uploading the materials well in advance of the deadline.

Submitting material via systems outside of Studyinfo

We recommend that you upload your material directly to the Studyinfo portal. If the assignment includes sensitive data, it is especially important to use Studyinfo for submitting the assignment.

If you want to share a link that leads to a system outside of the Studyinfo portal (e.g. Youtube, Vimeo, Soundcloud) due to the risk of high upload traffic on the Studyinfo server, for example, the link must be uploaded to Studyinfo as a pdf file (e.g. as part of a work portfolio, or as a separate file that only includes the link/links).

The assignment must be uploaded by the set date, after which it is no longer possible to edit it.

If the link leads to a system outside of the Studyinfo portal, the url must be original, and not a shortened link made with a url shortener service. The link must lead directly to the assignment and not, for example, to a compilation page with more links. Make sure that the link works throughout the entire admissions round and that the assignments are marked as private in the system settings (privacy settings: “Password“ or “Unlisted“ for Vimeo, “Unlisted” for YouTube, and “Private” for Soundcloud). You can choose to add password protection to the file, in which case the password must be sent to Uniarts Helsinki in addition to the link (in this case contact Theatre Academy’s Admissions Office).

The assignment must remain stored in the system in question at least 6 months after the end of the application period.

Uniarts Helsinki is not responsible for the data security risks, potential copyright infringements, muting of copy-protected audio tracks, or terms of use of systems offered by third parties. Note that third parties usually save information on user profiles and use this information for advertising, market research and/or other commercial purposes.

Any problems?

If you encounter problems, please contact teak.admissions@uniarts.fi.

Student selections

The selection process occurs in three phases.

Phase 1 of the entrance examination

Submitting an online application form, advance assignments and appendices in Studyinfo portal.

You will be notified of the results of your eligibility check by email no later than week 9.

Those who have passed the first phase based on their advance assignments will be sent invitations to phase 2 and possible extra assignments by e-mail during week 12 at the latest. Applicants cannot change the entrance examination times assigned to them. Applicants not considered eligible based on the advance assignments will also be notified via e-mail.

Phase 2 of the entrance examination

2 April – 3 April 2025 (the applicant participates in both days)

Phase 3 of the entrance examination

4 April 2025

Stages 2 and 3 of the entrance examinations are arranged remotely, the applicant participates in Zoom.  

Applicants are eliminated during entrance examinations. Elimination during different stages is also possible.

In the student selections, the applicant will:
– complete group and individual assignments as well as written assignments
– direct actors
– be interviewed

The individual assignments can be carried out in Finnish, Swedish or English. If persons applying to study in English have been invited to the entrance examination, the group assignments will take place in Finnish and/or English.

More information about entrance examinations and assessment

Individual arrangements in the entrance examination

Announcement of results

The Theatre Academy will publish the entrance examination results on 7 and 28 May 2025. Results are published in the Studyinfo portal and on the Uniarts Helsinki website. When you fill in your application form you can choose to not allow your name to be published online.

Results will be published on 7 May, 9 am (Finnish time):

• Master’s Studies in Acting (in Finnish)
• Master’s Studies in Directing
• Master’s Studies in Lighting Design
• Master’s Studies in Scenography
• Master’s Studies in Sound Design
• Master’s Degree Programme in Choreography
• Master’s Degree Programme in Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research (double-degree)
• Master’s Degree Programme in Live Art and Performance Studies
• Master’s Degree Programme in Writing

Results will be published on 28 May, 9 am (Finnish time):

• Degree Programme in Acting (in Finnish)
• Degree Programme in Directing
• Degree Programme in Dramaturgy and Playwriting
• Degree Programme in Lighting Design
• Degree Programme in Scenography
• Degree Programme in Sound Design
• Master’s Degree Programme in Dance Performance

Applicants admitted as students and those placed on the waiting list receive an email of the admissions results on the day when the admission decision is published. Other applicants are not notified about the results by email.

You can also enquire the results by sending an e-mail to Admissions Services.

Number of new students and a waiting list

How to request for rectification

Accepting an offer of admission

Please indicate whether you will accept the study place no later than 10 July 2025, 3pm (Finnish time).

If you have a Finnish personal identity code, accept the study place in the MyStudyinfo service.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, the Studyinfo.fi system will send you an email message. This message contains a link that you can use to accept the study place. You will receive this email within 24 hours of the announcement of admissions results.

Your notification regarding the acceptance of a study place is binding. However, if you wish to give up a study place after first accepting it, you will be considered to have accepted a place of study for the term in question (see the provision for one study place per term).

If you do not accept a study place by the deadline, you will lose the study place offered to you.

Applicants who are liable for annual tuition fee payment

Applicants who are liable for annual tuition fee payment are to pay the fee in connection with the acceptance of a study place no later than 10 July 2025 at 3pm (Finnish time). Students are required to pay the annual tuition fee in order to begin the residence permit process, register for attendance at the university and complete studies.

Enrollment

New students will receive instructions for enrollment together with the letter of admission results.

Registering as absent for the first year of studies

Starting your studies

Students admitted in the Joint Application of spring 2025 will begin their studies in August 2025.

Help and advice

Do you have a question about applying?

You can contact us via email or phone.

Email: teak.admissions@uniarts.fi
Phone: +358 50 349 6672